Crock Pot Reviews & Online Deals

Hello, Chef Brian here. I would like to invite you to check out my cooking videos on youtube.com:

Currently over 15 great hd cooking videos online.

A crock pot is the trade name for a slow cooker that was developed by Rival Industries and is an electrical kitchen appliance used primarily for cooking stews and other dishes that require long cooking time with water at fairly low temperatures. Through usage and misusage, the name “slow cooker” and “crock pot” have become interchangeable in recent years.

Crock pots are either round or oval and come in a wide variety of sizes. They are made of removable glazed ceramic or porcelain which serve as the crock pots’ cooking chambers. These cooking chambers are set within metal casings that contain thermostatically controlled electric heating elements. Crock pot lids are usually made of glass or transparent and heat-resistant plastics for easy viewing without the need for opening which can prolong the cooking process. These lids do not provide hermetic seals.

Most crock pots have two or three temperature settings such as low, medium and high and their temperatures range from 175 degrees Fahrenheit to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crock pots cook in low enough temperature to avoid badly overcooking food even when left to cook longer than is necessary. They are also safe to leave unattended and have therefore become popular with working housewives who set the crock pot to cook in the morning and upon returning home from work have a hot meal ready to serve. Since crock pots offer full meals in a single pot, cleanup becomes more convenient and easier.

However, vegetables cooked in crock pots lose their essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Many beans, especially kidney beans, have toxins that are destroyed when temperatures reach or exceed boiling points but since crock pots do not reach such temperatures, toxins in beans remain in tact and serious food poisoning may occur.

Most crock pots or slow cookers come with a diverse list of recipes that are suitable for this method of cooking. Many more recipes intended for crock pots can be found in cookbooks and on the Internet. In order to use recipes that were initially intended for other means of cooking, however, some modifications must be made, mostly by reducing the amount of water.

The following is a selection of ten of the most commonly found slow cookers or crock pot reviews, deals and best picks:

1. Cuisinart CSC-400 Slow Cooker. Key features: Four quart capacity; Price: $80; Rating: 3.25 out of 5.
2. Hamilton Beach 33130TC Slow Cooker. Key features: Three quart capacity; Price: $17; Rating: 4.7 out of 5.
3. Nesco PC-6-25-30TPR Stainless Steel Slow Cooker. Key features: Six quart capacity; Price: $100; Rating: 4.25 out of 5.
4. All-Clad 99009 Slow Cooker. Key features: Six and one half quart capacity; Price $150; Rating: 4 out of 5.
5. Rival 3040TCC Slow Cooker. Key features: Four quart capacity; Price: $25; Rating: 3 out of 5.
6. Team International SC 11047 Slow Cooker. Key features: Four quart capacity; Price: $25; Rating: 4.67 out of 5.
7. Rival SCVS600 Slow Cooker. Key features: Six quart capacity; Price: $40; Rating: 1.5 out of 5.
8. Hamilton Beach 33135 Slow Cooker. Key features: Six quart capacity; Price: $25; Rating: 1 out of 5.
9. Gourmet Simplicity CM0502 Cooking Master Standard Cooker Slow Cooker. Key features: Four quart capacity; Price: $130; Rating: 5 out of 5.
10. Hamilton Beach 33956 Slow Cooker. Key features: Five quart capacity; Price: $40; Rating: 5 out of 5.

Cook, eat and be merry!

Posted in Culinary Articles